• Wild Arugula – rustic arugula bouquet on wood
  • Wild Arugula seeds – heirloom, non-GMO from Inherited Seeds
  • Wild Arugula – fresh arugula in rustic bowl
  • Wild Arugula – dewy arugula in rich garden soil
1 4

Wild Arugula

Wild Arugula

$3.57 USD
$4.39 USD $3.57 USD
Sale Sold out
Shipping calculated at checkout.

Wild Arugula · Heirloom · Open-Pollinated · Naturally Grown · Non-GMO · Traditional to the Mediterranean

Wild Arugula has deeply cut leaves and a bolder, more peppery bite than regular salad rocket. It's slower to bolt, so you can keep cutting from the same plants for months, and it often comes back for a second year. Toss it onto pizza fresh from the oven, fold it into pasta or give salads a spicy kick. It grows happily in pots and window boxes.

Why Grow Wild Arugula?

  • Bold, peppery flavor, stronger than salad arugula
  • Slow to bolt; cut again and again for months
  • Often perennial; returns in mild winters
  • Perfect for pots and window boxes
  • Over 2,000 seeds per pack

Plant Profile

Botanical Name: Diplotaxis tenuifolia

Common Name: Wild Arugula, Wild Rocket, Sylvetta

Type: Heirloom, open-pollinated

Crop: Salad green

Leaf Color: Dark green, deeply lobed

Plant Habit: Low clump, 8–12 in.

Season: Cool season; often perennial in zones 5–9

Sun: Full sun to partial shade

Days to Harvest: 40–50 days; baby leaves from 25 days

Sowing Depth: 1/8 in.

Germination: 5–10 days at 45–75°F soil

Harvest: Cut leaves 1 in. above the crown; regrows quickly

Garden Use: Containers, window boxes, raised beds, edging

Culinary & Traditional Uses

Wild arugula is spicy and nutty. Add it at the end so it stays fresh.

  • Topped onto pizza straight from the oven
  • Salads with lemon, olive oil and parmesan
  • Pesto with walnuts and garlic
  • Folded into pasta and risotto
  • Sandwiches and wraps
  • Wilted into dal or eggs

How to Grow

Wild arugula likes cool weather. Sow in spring and again in late summer.

  1. Sow outdoors 2–4 weeks before your last frost date, and again from late summer to early fall.
  2. Scatter seeds thinly and barely cover them with 1/8 in. of soil.
  3. Keep soil moist; seedlings appear in 5–10 days.
  4. Thin to 4–6 in. apart.
  5. Cut leaves 1 in. above the crown when 4–6 in. tall; plants regrow.
  6. Give afternoon shade in summer to slow bolting.
  7. Mulch plants in fall; in mild winters they often return in spring.

What NOT To Do

  • Don't bury seeds deeply
  • Don't let soil dry out, which makes leaves extra hot and tough
  • Don't cut into the crown
  • Don't sow in peak summer heat without shade

Regional & International Names

  • Italian: Rucola Selvatica
  • French: Roquette Sauvage
  • Arabic: Jarjir (جرجير)
  • English: Wild Rocket, Sylvetta

FAQ

How is wild arugula different from regular arugula?
It has narrower, deeply cut leaves, a stronger peppery flavor and is slower to bolt.

Is it perennial?
Often, in zones 5–9. Mulched plants frequently return in spring.

Can I grow it indoors?
Yes, in a pot on a bright windowsill or under a grow light.

View full details